A small, portable gas chromatograph-quadrupole mass spectrometer for on-site analysis
Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is the analytical tool of choice for the exact identification of unknown organic chemicals in environmental samples. Capillary gas chromatography, combined with the specific identification capabilities of mass spectrometry, allows the rapid and complete characterization of individual compounds in complex mixtures. As the technology has developed, many manufacturers have offered bench-top MS systems that provide a variety of analytical capabilities. Many instruments have been promoted as ``detectors for gas chromatography.`` More recently, manufacturers have offered integrated packages that can be transported to the field to provide analytical capabilities previously available only in the laboratory. The demonstrated field utility of these field-transportable units has triggered an interest in smaller, lighter weight, and more portable instruments. However, the current weight (>100 lb), large size, and laboratory-based power consumption requirements of these units is viewed as a liability by some potential field instrument users. Over the past several years, the interest in field-deployable instruments has resulted in research and development into smaller GC-MS systems designed with limited applications. While the development of these instruments is certainly worthwhile, a reliable and robust GC-MS instrument that clearly addresses the field-deployable needs for all environmental sampling and analysis would have considerable utility. We have developed portable instruments with analytical performance characteristics similar to those obtained with bench-top instruments. The current instrument, developed at LLNL and described here, was originally designed for use by on-site inspection teams supporting the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). The portability and expanded capabilities of this integrated instrument now make it a useful tool for environmental monitoring and on-site analysis studies.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 10173252
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-ID-116939; ON: DE94016628
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Apr 1994
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENTS
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
MASS SPECTROMETERS
DESIGN
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
450600
440800
400102
CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL
MISCELLANEOUS INSTRUMENTATION
CHEMICAL AND SPECTRAL PROCEDURES